I’d like to thank Byrne PR and Lux Row Distillery for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
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I’d like to thank Byrne PR and Lux Row Distillery for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
We are still working through the backlog of samples that we received during the brackets, so let’s jump right in.
Just about a month and a half ago, I got a great email from the PR folks who work with Lux Row and MGP. And, I LOVE this email. Not wasting my time or theirs, it just said:
And in the spirit of that announcement email, let’s keep this short. Because, really, there isn’t much more to be said about this new, year-round addition to the Rebel portfolio. It’s Rebel 100 bourbon, just a bit older. Most of the information pertinent to the juice inside the bottle is right there in the name. Rebel Bourbon. 100° proof. Aged 6 Years. About the only thing I can add that isn’t in the name is that Rebel is, and always has been, a wheated bourbon going back to its initial launch as part of the Stitzel-Weller portfolio. But the fact that it’s a wheated bourbon is also on the label. Soooo…
Let’s just dig into the review proper, shall we?
Rebel 100 6 Year Old Bourbon
Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer for review purposes at no charge. The suggested retail price is $59.99
Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.00
Details: 50% ABV. 6 years old. Wheated mashbill.
Nose: Cinnamon, mint, almond, and oak.
Mouth: Spicy cinnamon, caramel, vanilla, almond, and oak.
Finish: Medium in both length and warmth. Follows the mouth with notes of cinnamon, caramel, and a bitter oak.
Thoughts: This is very good. If you like Rebel 100, the six-year-old version will be right up your alley. As a wheated bourbon, the oak is a bit more pronounced than if it were a bourbon that used rye as a flavoring grain, which, depending on your oak tolerance, may be a positive or a negative. Overall, I'm a fan. I usually prefer bourbon that uses rye as the flavoring grain, but this one is darn tasty. It's oak-forward but not too oak-forward. I’ll be picking up a full bottle should I see it.
If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.
Last month, during our brackets, I included exactly one bourbon that I’d never previously reviewed. It was a reader suggestion that, honestly, I had never seen for sale in Minnesota. But when I unexpectedly ran across it during my cross-metro shopping trip, I knew that it would be a shame to pass by the suggestion.
I mean, what is the point of asking for suggestions if you then turn around and ignore them?
Here is what I had to say about this during the competition.
Wheel Horse Bourbon is a new one to me. It was suggested by a reader in the last giveaway. I don’t know too much about it, but I know that it was distilled at the Green River Distilling Company in Owensboro, Kentucky. This property has been distilling whiskey off and on since the late 1800s. It was the home of “The Whiskey Without A Headache” until Prohibition. After Prohibition, it was run by the Medley Family until the 1980s. The property was briefly the OZ Tyler Distillery, making some truly terrible whiskey, before being renamed to Green River in 2019 and deciding to stop using the TerrePure process for the future whiskeys they were making there. I was thrilled to read this, which made me decide to take another chance on the whiskey produced there.
Now let’s see how it does in a proper tasting without the influence of another bourbon clouding my tastebuds.
Wheel Horse Bourbon
Purchase Info: $25.96 for a 750 mL bottle at Top Ten Liquors in Chanhassen, MN.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $1.73
Details: 50.5% ABV. 4 years old
Nose: Strong notes of soapy anise lead off with caramel and lumber underneath.
Mouth: Notes of clove, cinnamon, herbal mint, and oak.
Finish: On the longer side of medium length and warm. Lingering notes of anise, clove, red fruit, minerals, and oak.
Thoughts: This one could be divisive. It's not bad at all, but the strong herbal baking spice notes could put some people off. I like it enough to give the rye a try, but probably not enough to buy it again unless I'm looking to use it in a cocktail that would play well with anise and clove notes. I will give this a neutral rating because it doesn’t quite align with my palate, but you may love it. .
If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.
I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Penelope Bourbon for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
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I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Penelope Bourbon for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
Her name is Rio, and she dances on the sand Just like that river twisting through a dusty land And when she shines, she really shows you all she can Oh, Rio, Rio, dance across the Rio Grande —Chorus to Rio by Duran Duran, 1982
I am highly suggestable to earworms. It can take as little as two words out of a 1980s sitcom theme song to have me singing it for the next two weeks. And for some reason, the more annoyed I would be by the song, the easier it seems to lodge itself in my brain. I sometimes even get two earworms competing in my brain and I hear first one and then the other.
I really hate earworms. My wife thinks it is funny to trigger them in me. Thank goodness she has other, more redeeming qualities.
As you might guess from the fact that I placed the chorus at the beginning of the post, Rio by Duran Duran has been lodged in my brain all week. It’s not that I particularly dislike the song (or at least I didn’t pre-earworm), but I have been looking at this bottle for the better part of a month, so it was bound to happen. So, to not give the song any more oxygen, let’s move on to the whiskey.
Rio is the latest release in Penelope Bourbon’s Cooper Series. We looked at another a couple of months ago when we looked at the Tokaji Cask Finish Rye. Similar to that, this is a non-chill filtered and barrel-finished whiskey. In this case, it used Penelope’s blended four-grain mash bill of 74% corn, 16% wheat, 7% rye, and 3% malted barley. In this case, the bourbon was finished in two barrels. One that previously contained honey and one that was made of Amburana, a Brazilian hardwood.
Here’s what the company has to say about this edition of Rio:
“Our latest Rio release is a party in a bottle – the finishes complement each other so well, resulting in a fun and surprising mix of flavors,” said Michael Paladini, founder of Penelope Bourbon. “This year’s release delivers a dessert sweetness combined with a nice baking spice on the finish. It's a fantastic and different combination of rich and sweet, with depth.”
I have to agree. This thing is so sweet that I honestly could have been convinced it was a liqueur. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s get into the tasting notes.
Penelope Cooper Series: Rio
Purchase Info: This bottle was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $89.99 for a 750 mL bottle.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.00
Details: 49% ABV. Cask-finished in both honey barrels and Brazilian hardwood casks. Mash bill: 74% corn, 16% wheat, 7% rye and 3% malted barley.
Nose: Honey forward with toffee and a savory herbal note.
Mouth: Sweet with a thick mouthfeel. Notes of honey, cinnamon, anise, and other baking spices.
Finish: Vibrant, spicy, and sweet. Notes of honey, spicy cinnamon, caramel, anise, and cocoa.
Thoughts: Very tasty, especially if you are a fan of honey like I am. To me, this is like a pre-mixed old-fashioned or a spiced baked good. Very sweet with lots of baking spice. Don't grab this if you want a stereotypical barbon. But if you want something a bit different, I'd highly recommend this one.
If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.
I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Yellowstone Distillery for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
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I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Yellowstone Distillery for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
I’ve sung the praises of the folks over at Yellowstone more times than I can count. Well, that’s not true. I can count pretty high. But more times than I care to count, how about that? And because I enjoy their connection with their namesake park and the ways they give back, at the end of the post, I’d like to share the press release for a fun contest that the brand is running. It happened to land in my mailbox as I was getting ready for tonight’s post, and since I’m talking about Yellowstone anyway, I thought you guys would be interested.
So first, the bourbon. Last fall, Yellowstone released the first edition of its Special Finishes Collection with a Toasted Stave-Finished bourbon. Exactly a month ago, they released the second edition, “Rum Cask.” The bourbon is exactly what you think it is. It is four-year-old Yellowstone bourbon that has been finished for nine weeks in casks that previously held rum. In fact, I think I’ll let the press release writer take over at this point. I’d just be summarizing it anyway.
The new release starts with Yellowstone’s traditional bourbon mash bill and then is aged for nine weeks in casks that previously held rum distilled using molasses from sugarcane grown in the rich, fertile soils and tropical Caribbean climate of Cuba. The resulting bourbon features a flavorful blend of spice and tropical sweetness; a medium body with notes of toasted marshmallow, crème brûlée and toffee toasted oak; and the finish is highlighted by tobacco, clove, cocoa seasoned oak and honey.
“Rum has the sweetest notes of all the casks we’ve used for secondary finishing, and it was an ideal choice for the next adventure in our Special Finishes Collection,” said Beam. “Rum is an exceptional compliment to bourbon, and they come together to create subtle notes of sweetness and brown sugar, which are soaked up and stored within the staves and perfectly complement the vanilla, caramel and rye flavors of Yellowstone. Our four-year bourbon is a classic Kentucky bourbon and makes for a fantastic base. This allows me to go in many directions with the finishes while remaining true to or original profile.”
Let’s dig in and see how it tastes.
Yellowstone Special Finishes Collection, Rum Cask
Purchase Info: This sample was sent to me at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $49.99.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33
Details: 4 years old. 50% ABV. Secondary aging for nine weeks in former rum casks.
Nose: Brown sugar, oak, vanilla, and a touch of cinnamon.
Mouth: Cinnamon spice, toffee, vanilla, oak, allspice, marshmallow, and a touch of molasses.
Finish: Medium in both length and warmth with notes of brown sugar, tobacco, molasses, and oak. There is a final dark chocolate note that shows up after the rest have faded.
Thoughts: If you’ve ever had Angel’s Envy Rye, you will know that Rum finishes can sometimes take over the whiskey base. This is not one of those times. This is a bourbon, and you wouldn’t have guessed otherwise if you had tasted it blind. The secondary finishing adds some sweetness and undernotes that are a little unusual for a bourbon. Molasses and marshmallows are examples that I don’t usually find. However, they aren’t unheard of either. There is more oak than I expected in a four-year-and-nine-week-aged bourbon, which is very nice. Overall, I’m quite enjoying this one. I’d give it a shot should you see it.
Iconic bourbon brand shares its connection to America’s first national park with consumers through new adventure experience opportunity
ST. LOUIS (April 8, 2024) – Yellowstone Bourbon announced a contest for consumers to win an all-inclusive trip to Yellowstone National Park in 2024. Consumers can enter the Yellowstone National Park Getaway Contest now through July 15 by submitting a photo and a writeup about their love for the great outdoors – a hiking story, poem or another kind of written expression.
The three lucky winners and their plus-one will experience the ultimate national park adventure September 5-8, 2024, including hiking, horseback riding, sightseeing, curated meals, private accommodations and round-trip airfare. In addition, four social media influencers will join the winners for this trip of a lifetime:
Dean Unglert, reality TV star and outdoor explorer
Adam Glick, celebrity chef and adventurer
Holly Johnson, travel and outdoor content creator
Patrick Duke, adventure photographer and filmmaker
“For more than 150 years, Yellowstone Bourbon has shared a bond with the majestic Yellowstone National Park,” said Kelly Panzitta, Yellowstone Bourbon brand manager. “This contest gives people the opportunity to experience that connection firsthand and win a one-of-a-kind adventure. It’s part of our commitment to always keep the park within reach.”
Since 2018, Yellowstone Bourbon has donated nearly $500,000 to National Parks Conservation Association to preserve national parks. In 2023, Yellowstone became one of NPCA’s largest annual corporate donors at the $250,000 level.
Yellowstone Bourbon partnered with World Playground to plan the contest itinerary and Under Canvas for the winners’ and influencers’ private accommodations in West Yellowstone. For more information about the contest including official rules, please visit Yellowstone National Park Getaway Contest or YellowstoneBourbon.com. For updates about the contest, follow Yellowstone Bourbon on Facebook and Instagram.
If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.
It isn’t often that I look at something this expensive, so I thought I’d give a little backstory on how it ended up on my shelf.
It was 2013, and my wife was planning the yearly trip she takes with her mother. Usually, it is somewhere local, like the North Shore of Lake Superior or Door County, Wisconsin, but this time, my mother-in-law wanted to see Niagara Falls. She’d never been and wanted to see it before she no longer could. Normally, the trip is just the two of them, but I’d never been out of the country and asked if I could tag along. They were driving, and I didn’t have enough vacation time to spend the entire week with them. So it was decided that I would fly out, they would pick me up in Toronto, we’d do some sightseeing, and then I would ride back with them.
Want to raise the suspicions of a Canadian customs agent? Fly in on a one-way ticket. She asked a lot of questions about what I do for a living, why I was there, who I was meeting, and why I didn’t just ride along with my wife when they drove in. The defeated way I admitted to not having enough vacation must have done the trick, though, because that was the last question before I was allowed to go.
But anyway, back in 2013, I was chronically online—like all the time. Twitter was my jam at the time, as it was still a few years away from becoming the total cesspool that I abandoned for my own mental health a few years later. I met a lot of really cool friends based on a combined love of all things whiskey. And when I mentioned online that I’d be in Toronto for a couple of nights, well, that was when Canadian Rick took over.
He didn’t go by that or anything, but that was how my wife and I thought of him.
Rick was very possibly the nicest guy I’d ever met. He set up an entire meet-up for local whiskey lovers at our hotel room. But before that, he surprised us at the Forty Creek distillery. He’d found out that we were going to be taking a tour and sat in the parking lot waiting for us to show up so that he could introduce himself to us and welcome us to Canada. And he did that by flirting with my mother-in-law and giving my wife and I the heel portion of a bottle of a very old Alberta Premium. I think it was about 30 years old. There was just enough left in the bottle for a pour for each of the two of us.
It was delicious. It literally sent a shiver up my spine as I sipped it. Until very recently, it was the oldest whiskey (or whisky since it is Canadian) that I’d ever tasted.
The next night, everyone showed up at my hotel room, and we had a lovely tasting. They tried their best to get me to enjoy Scotch the way they did, to no avail. I gained an appreciation but not a liking. (For context, it was sincerely said of one of the samples: “It has the aroma of Band-Aids and candle wax, mmm, delicious.” I did not think that sounded delicious…) Luckily for me, they also brought a bunch of Canadian whiskey along. Now that I liked. Enough so that we had to stop at a couple of LCBO locations on our drive home, even though I was massively hungover and working on very little sleep as my wife drove us back.
After our trip, Rick made sure to keep in touch. We visited on Facebook, via email, and, of course, Twitter. We even shared whiskey samples back and forth. He’d ask for Bourbon and, in return, send Canadian. Eventually, I pretty much gave up social media, and we drifted apart. I know I’m not doing justice to just how nice Rick was, but you’ll just have to take my word for it.
Right as we were starting our brackets last month, we received word from a mutual friend that Rick had passed away. And as you do when you learn that a friend that you’d drifted away from is gone, I wondered why on Earth I hadn’t tried harder to keep in touch. Even though I know there were some lovely whiskeys, I have no idea what we tasted that night in Toronto, but I remember the joy that we all had in tasting them together. There is a lesson there somewhere.
So, what does all that have to do with the bottle of Canadian Club that we are talking about tonight? Well, it was on that trip that I fell in love with good Canadian whisky. I’d been seeing this bottle of 45-year-old Canadian Club just sitting in the case for almost a year. And when I thought of Canadian Rick and his heel of 30-year-old Alberta Premium, something tugged at me to buy it. And when my daughter gave us a $150 Total Wine Gift Card for Christmas this year, I knew exactly what I wanted to put it toward. $300 is a lot for a bottle of whiskey. I’ve never spent that much previously, and it is very likely that I never will again.
And I’m very glad I did. It was the perfect bottle to open to toast Rick’s memory with when we heard the news of his passing. It was the only pour out of the bottle before we did the tasting notes for this post, and it will be a while before we pour another, I’m sure. But maybe someday, when there are only a couple of pours left in the bottle, I’ll need to pay it forward and pass that heel along to a friend newly met.
Canadian Club Chronicles “The Icon” 45-year-old Canadian Whiskey
Purchase Info: $309.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN
Price per Drink (50 mL): $20.67
Details: 45 years old, 50% ABV.
Nose: Delicate, pleasant oak, along with cinnamon and floral vanilla.
Mouth: Creme brulee, marzipan, oak, and cinnamon.
Finish: Refined, balanced, and of medium length. Lingering notes of vanilla custard spiced with cinnamon and a gentle oak.
Thoughts: This is delicious. The first descriptor that popped into my head was" refined." It is extremely well-balanced, with neither the proof nor oak overpowering anything else. A few years ago, my wife and I tasted a vintage bottle of Canadian Club from the 1970s. It was very floral. Much more so than the currently produced product. You can still taste the floral 1970s Canadian Club roots even at its advanced age. This is definitely something that will live on the special shelf and only be poured on special occasions or for special people.
I didn’t get a chance to tell you anything about this whisky, but if you’d like to learn more about it, Whisky Magazine had a nice write-up when it was released in late 2022, and of course, here is the original press release.
If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.
Welcome back, folks! We are now at the end of the 2024 contest. Eight whiskeys entered the arena. Four have fallen by the wayside. There have been some delicious treats, with not a single stinker in the bunch. Let’s see how it all ends and see if we’ve learned anything along the way. First, we have the Round Two matchups.
Division 2: Whiskey A (Buffalo Trace) vs. Whiskey B (George Dickel Bourbon)
Pre-Reveal Thoughts: The noses are pretty similar. “A” is more vibrant, “B” is nuttier. In the mouth, “A” is very nicely balanced with a nice sweetness. “B” is spicier, also with a nice flavor.
Winner: “B” (George Dickel Bourbon) moves on to the Championship Round based on the nice spiciness.
Division 1: Whiskey A (Old Forester 100 Proof) vs. Whiskey B (Old Grand-Dad 114 Proof)
Pre-Reveal Thoughts: The nose on “B” has more caramel and nuttiness. The nose on “A” is more muted with a faint medicinal note. “B” is very spicy on the month. “A” has notes of red fruit and marzipan.
Winner: “B” is spicier, but that spiciness overwhelms the other notes. “A” is more well-rounded, which I prefer. “A” (Old Forester 100 proof) moves on to the Championship Round
Championship Round: Whiskey A (George Dickel Bourbon) vs. Whiskey B (Old Forester 100 Proof)
Pre-Reveal Thoughts: The nose on “A” shows more caramel and vanilla versus the fruit notes on “B.” The mouth on “A” is showing spice, caramel, and oak. “B” shows more fruit. It’s close, but I think “A” pulls ahead based on the oak and spice.
Winner: “A” (George Dickel Bourbon)
Congrats to George Dickel 8-Year-Old Bourbon, the 2024 BourbonGuy.com Bracket Champion!
Lessons Learned:
This was an interesting contest for me. I like contests where I know I won’t need to brace myself before taking the first sip in a tasting. Every one of the bourbons was good. I don’t think I’d say there is anything in here that would warrant a “meh/neutral” rating if it were being tasted alone. That might be a first.
So, what did I learn about each of these?
Ok, right off the bat, I expected a little blowback on George Dickel Bourbon even being in the contest. I got it last year when I included their Bottled-in-Bond Whiskey, and I honestly expected the same this year. I am personally shocked that Dickel won the contest. I honestly expected Old Forester 100 proof to win based on what I thought my personal preferences were. That said, upon reflection, I’m not shocked that the only age-stated bourbon in the batch won the whole thing. It’s hard to beat time in a barrel for making good whiskey. Add in the fact that it was less than $25 and less than 100 proof, and the whole thing just makes me happy. I love an underdog story.
Moving over to the other Championship contender, as stated above, Old Forester 100 Proof would have been my favorite to win the contest at the outset. Not only does it sit in my favorite proof point, but it was also the most expensive of the bunch. Not that price always correlates to quality (that’s one of the reasons we run this contest each year), but it certainly correlates to how much a company thinks people would be willing to pay for something. And that has at least a passing relationship with how good something is, especially with a product that has been on the market for a long time like this. That said, it came in second and won its division. It’s a good bourbon and one that is often on my shelf.
Newcomer Wheel Horse Bourbon handled itself admirably. It didn’t quite have the gusto to knock off a competitor with lots of age on it, but it should hold its head up high. It lost to the eventual champion this year. That’s nothing to sneeze at. It’s good whiskey and a good value. It may have advanced if it had had a different matchup in the first round. I think I’ll be doing a full review of this one in the near future if I don’t drink it all first.
Elijah Craig is a great bourbon. It is more delicate than other bourbons in this list, having neither the age nor the proof of other contestants. Because of that, it doesn’t surprise me that it lost in the first round. But with no comparisons, I'm a happy camper if this is in my glass.
When I think of Buffalo Trace, the old chant from high school sports of “O-Ver-Rate-Ed clap clap clapclapclap.” That isn’t to say that it is a stinker or even a “meh” bourbon. No, it is very good. But when I get comments from people saying that it goes for $50 in their neck of the woods, it’s hard to take it seriously these days. Especially when contrasted with other comparable products. Sazerac won the PR lottery when they got the contract to have Pappy chosen from among their stocks oh-so-many years ago.
I’m just going to copy and paste what I said last year about Old Tub, as nothing has changed in my assessment: “Old Tub reminded me that Jim Beam makes good whiskey. It just needs some proof. Go below 100° proof, and it gets way too nutty for many folks, including me, when the mood isn’t right.”
I didn’t learn much from Old Grand-Dad 114 that I didn’t already know. I knew it was a great bourbon that didn’t cost much, and nothing about that has changed. The proof adds a nice spice to what might otherwise be a lackluster bourbon that would be too grain-forward for my personal tastes. That’s why I like Bonded and 114 so much better than the 80 proof.
Finally, Ezra Brooks 99 is right there with the other bourbons in this group. It was great as a 90° proof. And with that great base, the proof bump makes it an absolute winner. Sure, the price is higher than the now-discontinued 90, but I think the quality went up more. If I’m not buying for content, this is one that I pick up a lot.
Ok, so we have one further contest to take a look at before we put the brackets to bed this year. I retired Wild Turkey 101 from the yearly bracket contest a few years ago. It won every time it appeared until I paired it against other, more expensive, 100-ish proof bourbons during the pandemic. It is literally the GOAT when it comes to inexpensive bourbon. One of the guys I talk to at a local liquor store describes more expensive bourbons using Wild Turkey 101 as the measuring stick. “Is this worth four bottles of Wild Turkey 101?” And I love that. So, I decided to bring it out of retirement to see how this year’s winner stacked up against the old bird. (You may notice it hiding in the back of the photo above.)
Emeritus Round: Whiskey A (George Dickel Bourbon) vs. Whiskey B (Wild Turkey 101)
Pre-Reveal Thoughts: “A” has a lot of oak on both the nose and mouth, along with toffee on the mouth. “B” shows nice cinnamon on the nose and mouth along with some caramel on the mouth. Both have a nice spice.
Winner: Very close, but I'm leaning toward “B” (Wild Turkey) in the Emeritus Contest.
Now that we are done, it’s time to turn the page to the future. Next week, we will look at the samples that have been stacking up while the contest was going on. As much fun as this was, it’s fun to try new bourbons, too.
Once again, congrats to George Dickel 8-Year-Old Bourbon on their 2024 Championship!
If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.
Hello again, my friends! Let’s continue with the brackets, shall we?
If you’ve been following along, you know that these were tasted in an order only known to my wife, which was another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. So Round 1 of the 2024 BourbonGuy.com Brackets finishes up with Division 2’s Number 2 seed, Wheel Horse Bourbon, taking on Number 3 seed George Dickel Bourbon.
Wheel Horse Bourbon is a new one to me. It was suggested by a reader in the last giveaway. I don’t know too much about it, but I know that it was distilled at the Green River Distilling Company in Owensboro, Kentucky. This property has been distilling whiskey off and on since the late 1800s. It was the home of “The Whiskey Without A Headache” until Prohibition. After Prohibition, it was run by the Medley Family until the 1980s. The property was briefly the OZ Tyler Distillery, making some truly terrible whiskey, before being renamed to Green River in 2019 and deciding to stop using the TerrePure process for the future whiskeys they were making there. I was thrilled to read this, which made me decide to take another chance on the whiskey produced there. I bought this bottle at Top Ten Liquors in Chanhassen, MN. It costs $25.96 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.73 per pour.
Their opponent is another bourbon that doesn’t come from a traditional Kentucky Bourbon background. In this case, it is because it is made in Tennessee instead of Kentucky. George Dickel Bourbon is eight years old and is one of the most inexpensive age-stated eight-year-old bourbons on the shelf. Other bourbons include eight-year-old juice in that price range, but they don’t age state it. That gives them the flexibility to swap in younger bourbons as needed, but there is something reassuring about a bourbon willing to tell you it’s age. This bottle cost $24.99 for a 750 mL bottle at France44 in Minneapolis, MN or $1.67 per pour.
All of the competitions this year were tasted blind and we knew the winner of the competition prior to any reveal. Notes, thoughts, and conclusions were all from before we knew what was what. Needless to say, some of my conclusions were surprising to me. Tasting notes may be a little unusual since they were being tasted at the same time and probably influenced the perceptions of one another.
Whiskey A (Wheel Horse Bourbon)
Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.73
Details: 50.5% ABV.
Nose: Cinnamon, vanilla, mint, and oak.
Mouth: Spicy cinnamon, mint, a hint of black tea, and some caramel.
Finish: Hot and medium length. Notes of Cinnamon, honey, and tannic oak.
Whiskey B (George Dickel Bourbon)
Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.67
Details: 45% ABV.
Nose: Black tea, honey, and oak.
Mouth: Honey, caramel, cinnamon and citrus.
Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Notes of oak, caramel, and cinnamon.
Thoughts:
Pre-Reveal Thoughts: This is the first competition this year with a clear winner. Don't get me wrong, both of these are tasty. But “B” has a more "stereotypical bourbon" sort of flavor profile. Which is what I like, as you might have guessed by the fact that I've been excited by bourbon for well over a decade. “A” is just a bit too hot relative to the more balanced “B.”
Post-Reveal Thoughts: When I set up the brackets, this was the one competition where I had no clue what was going to happen. It’s a new-to-me bourbon versus a Tennessee bourbon. I like Dickel, but I was pretty sure it wouldn’t do much in the competition. Of course, with me not really knowing much about its opponent, it was impossible to predict the outcome. And though I was initially surprised, after some thought, it makes sense. I like Dickel, and I like bourbon in the six- to eight-year-old range.
Winner:George Dickel Bourbon is advancing to round 2.
Next time we will cover round two and the Championship round to find out who wins. Let me know your guesses down in the comment section below.
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Hello again, my friends! Let’s continue with the brackets, shall we?
If you’ve been following along, you know that these were tasted in an order only known to my wife, which was another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. So Round 1 of the 2024 BourbonGuy.com Brackets continues with Division 1’s Number 1 seed, Old Forester 100 proof, taking on Number 4 seed Elijah Craig.
Old Forester 100 proof, one time known as Old Forester Signature, is probably my favorite Brown-Forman bourbon from a Quality-to-Price perspective. It is delicious, relatively inexpensive (at least when compared to its Whiskey Row brothers), and has enough proof to keep you interested. Did I mention that it is delicious? I was thrilled to include this one in the brackets this year. It is the number one overall seed due to the fact that it is at the high end of this contest’s price parameters and it’s proof. I bought this bottle at South Lyndale Liquors in Minneapolis, MN. It costs $27.99 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.87 per pour.
Their opponent is another bourbon that I buy quite often. In this case, it is because Heaven Hill’s flagship bourbon, Elijah Craig, is often on sale in the low $ 20 range near me. I’m a big fan of bottles that taste good but cost relatively little. Hence, the contest theme. This particular bottle was not on sale but was still priced well. It costs $24.96 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.66 per pour.
All of the competitions this year were tasted blind and we knew the winner of the competition prior to any reveal. Notes, thoughts, and conclusions were all from before we knew what was what. Needless to say, some of my conclusions were surprising to me. Tasting notes may be a little unusual since they were being tasted at the same time and probably influenced the perceptions of one another.
Whiskey A (Elijah Craig)
Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.66
Details: 47% ABV.
Nose: Brown sugar, mint, cola, and baking spice.
Mouth: Caramel, cola, cinnamon, and oak.
Finish: Warm and on the shorter side of medium. Notes of brown sugar, mint, and oak.
Whiskey B (Old Forester 100 proof)
Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.87
Details: 50% ABV.
Nose: Caramel, citrus zest, mint, and almond.
Mouth: Sweet and spicy with notes of caramel, cedar, mint, almond, and cinnamon.
Finish: Warm and of medium length—notes of toffee, chalk, mint, and cinnamon.
Thoughts:
Pre-Reveal Thoughts: We had a hard time with this one. Relatively, “A” is the more delicate of the two, which wouldn't matter if one of these was bad. I’ve chosen the more delicate bourbon in previous year’s contests because it happened to be the better one. But both of these were very good. So I'm left with which one made more of an impression. And in this case, that is the robust flavor of “B.”
Post-Reveal Thoughts: There are no surprises here. The proof won out. If this contest had happened ten years ago, it would have been a different story. Old Forester had fallen on hard times and, frankly, wasn’t very good. And Elijah Craig was a 12-year-old powerhouse of a bourbon. But these days, Old Forester 100 is delicious, and Elijah Craig, though delicious, is much more approachable than it once was.
Winner:Old Forester 100 is advancing to round 2.
If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.
Hello again my friends! Let’s continue with the brackets, shall we?
If you’ve been following along, you know that these were tasted in an order only known to my wife as another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. So Round 1 of the 2024 BourbonGuy.com Brackets continues with Division 1’s Number 3 seed Ezra Brooks 99 taking on Number 2 seed Old Grand-Dad 114.
Ezra Brooks 99 recently replaced Lux Row’s Ezra Brooks 90 proof. Much to the dismay of certain commenters. I happen to enjoy the fact that they bumped the proof up. I’m guessing the dismay comes from the fact that they also bumped up the price at the same time. They didn’t go too high, though, since it still meets bracket parameters. When I picked this up at South Lyndale Liquors in Minneapolis, MN, it cost $24.99 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.67 per pour.
Their opponent is another bourbon that wears its proof right in the name. Old Grand-Dad 114 is Beam Suntory’s highest-proof product using the Old Grand-Dad mashbill. This bottle was purchased at Total Wine in Burnsville, MN. It cost $26.99 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.80 per pour.
All of the competitions this year were tasted blind and we knew the winner of the competition prior to any reveal. Notes, thoughts, and conclusions were all from before we knew what was what. Needless to say, some of my conclusions were surprising to me. Tasting notes may be a little unusual since they were being tasted at the same time and probably influenced the perceptions of one another.
Whiskey A (Ezra Brooks 99)
Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.67
Details: 49.5% ABV.
Nose: Spearmint, caramel, and almond.
Mouth: Sweet and spicy. Strong caramel notes along with cinnamon, mint, and a slight grainy note.
Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Notes of cinnamon, mint, and red fruit.
Whiskey B (Old Grand-Dad 114)
Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.80
Details: 57% ABV.
Nose: Toffee, red fruits, and baking spice.
Mouth: Baking Spice, caramel, and red fruit.
Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Notes of cinnamon, mint, and red fruit.
Thoughts:
Pre-Reveal Thoughts: Once again, both are delicious, but “B” is the winner on the strength of the overall experience. “A” shows some grain on the month which leads to a slight bitterness on the finish. “B” is sweet and spicy throughout with a nice full mouthfeel. On another day this might have gone another way, but today is “B’s” day.
Post-Reveal Thoughts: I’m both surprised and not surprised by the reveal on this one. On one hand, it is not unusual in these competitions that the higher-proof bourbon wins the day. On the other hand, it didn’t in the last post. In that one, the 100° Old Tub lost to the 90° proof Buffalo Trace. And usually, I’d grab a pour of Ezra Brooks 99 before a pour of Buffalo Trace. So that threw me for a moment. But then again, I really tend to like both of these. So going back to proof being the deciding factor, Old Grand-Dad 114’s win shouldn’t be a surprise.
Winner: Old Grand-Dad 114 is advancing to round 2.
If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.
Here we go! Let’s get down to the competitions. I hope that you guys are as excited by this as I am. These were tasted in an order only known to my wife as another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. So Round 1 of the 2024 BourbonGuy.com Brackets starts with Division 2’s Number 4 seed Old Tub taking on Number 1 seed Buffalo Trace.
Buffalo Trace is the flagship product of Sazerac’s Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, KY. It can be hard to find in this area, and I’ve heard tell of it costing in the $50 or more range from commenters in other states. When I happened across it at the Burnsville, MN Total Wine, it cost $27.99 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.87 per pour.
Their opponent recently replaced Jim Beam Bonded in the Jim Beam brand line-up. Old Tub is a bottled-in-bond, unfiltered bourbon that is named after the brand the the Beam family made before they started producing Jim Beam branded products. It was distilled in Clermont, KY at Jim Beam’s distillery DSP-KY-230. This bottle was purchased at France44 in Minneapolis, MN. It cost $21.99 for a 750 mL bottle or $1.47 per pour.
All of the competitions this year were tasted blind and we knew the winner of the competition prior to any reveal. Notes, thoughts, and conclusions were all from before we knew what was what. Needless to say, some of my conclusions were surprising to me. Tasting notes may be a little unusual since they were being tasted at the same time and could have influenced the perceptions of one another.
Whiskey A (Buffalo Trace)
Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.87
Details: 45% ABV.
Nose: Vanilla sugar, cardamom, nutmeg, and oak.
Mouth: Nutmeg, mint, vanilla sugar, and a nice spicy tingle.
Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Nutmeg, cardamom, oak, and a slight mineral note.
Whiskey B (Old Tub Bottled-in-Bond)
Price Per Drink (50 mL): $1.47
Details: 50% ABV.
Nose: Cinnamon, caramel, oak.
Mouth: Spicy cinnamon, caramel, cedar, and dried grain.
Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium.
Thoughts:
Pre-Reveal Thoughts: “B” hits hard at the start, is spicy, and continues strong into the finish. “A” starts soft and sweet but then blossoms into a nice spice as it transitions into the finish. Ultimately this was really close, but I think I enjoyed the journey that “A” took me on a little more.
Post-Reveal Thoughts: Honestly not surprised by the results of this one. While I tend to think of Buffalo Trace as severely overhyped, it is a very good bourbon. And while I like Old Tub, it is marketed toward the lower end of the Premium Bourbon market. After going back and reading the notes, you can really tell that these had influenced each other. I don’t know that I’ve ever described Old Tub as “spicy” in the past. but that is why we put the disclaimer up there. When you move back and forth from glass to glass to see which you like better, you are doing a different thing than the typical sensory evaluation that full tasting notes would require. It’s a more roughshod and sloppy tasting experience. That said, it does it’s job in telling us which one we liked better. And as I would have expected going into the competition, Buffalo Trace, the most expensive entry in the competition, beat out Old Tub, the least expensive in the bunch.
Winner: Buffalo Trace is advancing to round 2.
If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.
